1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a simulation device for simulating an operation of a machine, such as a robot and a machine tool, which operates in accordance with an operation program or an operation command.
2. Description of Related Art
There is known a simulation device for simulating an operation of the machine, which operates in accordance with an operation program or an operation command, by displaying an image of a model of the machine on a display device of a computer based on operation command data in a controller of the machine or operation command data obtained by arithmetic processing in the computer.
The conventional simulating device continuously simulates the whole operation of the machine in executing an operation program or operation commands, and is not able to display an operational state of the machine including position and posture of the machine in the midst of the continuous operation or to simulate a part of the operation of the machine to the midst or from the midst of the operation. Particularly, in the simulation of operation of the machine such as a robot, although the simulation of the whole operation of the robot in one cycle thereof is useful, there is a case where it is required to confirm position and posture of the robot at specific points in time in the midst of the operation and operation state of the robot in a specific section in the operation of the robot, i.c. change of motion of the robot in the specific section.